BRA - Paulao positive over Brazil U19 chances

SAO PAULO (FIBA U19 World Championship) - Brazil center Paulo Sergio Prestes is upbeat over the Selecao's prospects in the FIBA Under-19 World Championships in Serbia.

Coach Jose Alves Neto and his 12-man squad will fly to Novi Sad on Sunday and Paulao, as Prestes is better known, is urging the team to stay focused.

He told the Brazilian Basketball Confederation's official website: "We've trained with the senior squad throughout the week which was very important for our warm-up.

"We had the opportunity to correct some mistakes and I think the group is improving a lot.

"We still have to improve our concentration to maintain the same rhythm for the whole the 40 minutes."

Team-mate and fellow center Rafael Mineiro claims the squad is aware of the responsibility on their shoulders, with Brazil having contested five World Championships without winning the title.

He said: "I think we'll get to the World Championship in very good shape.

"One of the team's strongest points is that we centers have been playing together since the South American Championship."

Brazil are in Group A for the tournament alongside Lebanon, France and Lithuania.

Brazil squad to play the FIBA U19 World Championship from July 12 to 22:
Caue de Freitas, Rafael Mineiro, Jose Anibal Silva (all Franca Basquete), Henrique Medeiros (Joinville), Thomas Melazzo (Paulistano), Bruno Jose Ferreira, Carlos dos Santos (both Uniara/Araraquara), Jose Roberto Duarte, Rodrigo Silva (both Limeira), Romario Souza (Minas Tenis), Carlos Ortega (Unicaja Malaga), Paulo Sergio Prestes (Clinicas Rincon Axarquia).

Matias Greco
FIBA